A reporter wondered why her Teavana tea never tasted as good at home as the samples in the store. She got a part time job at one of the stores and found out why.

She says the discrepancy between the samples in the store and the tea that results from directions given to customers can be pretty extreme. That’s because the in-store tea is way stronger and except for the unflavored oolong, heaped with sugar.

L. shared a typical recipe barista used when there wasn’t already enough samples already brewed. It’s an entirely different recipe, she notes, and often included almost a cup of loose tea per 4-cup container.

I met a former Teavana employee on another forum and she said they also have to make an average weekly and monthly "ticket" of $50. that's why they push the tins, expensive cast iron ware etc. If they don't reach this average their hours are cut.

Can't seem to paste the link here. It was on the Teaviews forum under Retailers--Teavana: good? overpriced? aggressive upselling?

I worked for teavana for a short period of time. There samples are usuallly double the amount of leaf they suggest and as far as sugar goes im convinced they added enough to give a person diabetes. Its a hell hole of a company to work for on top of that.